As residents sampled more than a dozen chili variations during the Saturday afternoon event, two helicopters from LAFD’s air operations joined the party, which was organized by Roy Payan of the Montecito Heights Improvement Association. The helicopters landed on two concrete pads that were constructed during the past year on a vacant field near Reynolds and Roberta streets.

“The helispot is used by LAFD to fill the air ship water tanks to fight fires in the surrounding areas such as Mt. Washington, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights and Elysian Heights,” said Martha Benedict, who took photos of the event. “It is not used for fires in Montecito Heights since smoke and fire in the vicinity would limit visibility and pose risks.”

The two helicopters were certainly attention getters. But the star of the afternoon was a wild boar meat concoction made by Jacqueline Dreager that won first place in the chili cook off.

Support The Eastsider Today

Bloggers don’t live on comments alone. You can support The Eastsider, a privately-owned company, by purchasing an annual Reader Sponsorship. Your financial support and sponsorship will help defray the costs of gathering neighborhood news and stories. You can pay via PayPal or by using your credit or debit card. Your sponsorship is not tax deductible. Just click on the button below to select a sponsorship level and sign up today.